Sukiya, one of Japan's prominent beef-on-rice restaurant chains, has announced a sweeping closure of its nearly 2,000 outlets for urgent deep cleaning to address rising pest concerns. This decision comes in the wake of alarming incidents where customers discovered pests, including a rat, in their food.
According to reports, the company confirmed it found a rat in a bowl of miso soup back in January, sparking rumors on social media that had been circulating for weeks. The recent finding of an insect—believed to be part or all of a cockroach—by a customer in one of its Tokyo locations prompted the chain to take immediate action.
Sukiya's temporary closure is scheduled from March 31 to April 4, during which time it will implement comprehensive pest control measures throughout all its restaurant sites. The chain has publicly apologized for the "great inconvenience and concern caused" to its patrons.
Following the early January incident, a restaurant in Tottori was closed to address contamination concerns, while the company vowed to inspect all outlets regularly for gaps that could allow pests to enter. Additionally, Sukiya has promised to keep waste materials properly refrigerated to avoid further issues.
The pest incidents have had financial implications as well, leading to a decline in share prices for Zensho Holdings, Sukiya's parent company, after the rat discovery was made public. The impact on shares will likely be scrutinized following the announcement of the closures this week.
Sukiya aims to regain customer trust as it undertakes these critical measures to enhance food safety and maintain its reputation in the competitive Japanese restaurant market.
